McEachern to feature artwork from Boys & Girls Club, O’tis the Season slated for Saturday

When The McEachern Art Center opens its doors at 6 p.m. today as part of downtown’s First Friday celebrations, work from a dozen or so Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia artists will be on the walls.

Young people are also at the heart of the Otis Redding Foundation’s “O’tis the Season” holiday show Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Hargray Capitol Theatre.

The McEachern exhibit, featuring kids ages 8 to 12, grew out of a new program called Art from the Heart. Organizers said some participants came with a leaning toward art while for others creating art was a new experience.

“I think some were really interested at first and, of course, some just wanted to get out of their usual activities and do something different,” said local artist Keven “Scene” Lewis, who was tapped to instruct the kids.

Entering the 12-week art class, most participants wouldn’t have known of their instructor’s work or ever-increasing reputation. Lewis is a gifted portrait and mural creator whose recent local work includes a mural depicting the late John Lewis in Warner Robins and two portrait-murals at Macon’s new Woodward Hotel, one of which is of Middle Georgia author Flannery O’Connor and is featured as an illustration in a Condé Nast Traveler article this week highlighting Macon as one of “The Best 23 Places to Go in the U.S. in 2023.”

Lewis said he’s taught art to kids many times before, particularly at youth centers around the world at U.S. Air Force Bases. Yes, it was the Air Force that brought the Lewis family to Middle Georgia when his wife, Reatrina, was stationed here as an active-duty Air Force member. They decided to stay and that in itself highlights the importance of Robins Air Force Base not only in national defense and for the local economy but through the inestimable value of those it brings to the area and the contributions they make to local life and culture.

“I started the class out teaching drawing fundamentals and they got that but were eager to get past the exercises and start painting,” Lewis said. “I ended up remembering myself at their age and decided to put aside the group exercises and let them paint and explore and worked with them one-on-one doing projects they wanted to do. That ended up being really awesome. I was so impressed at how they grew as artists and at the stories they came up with that their works represented.”

Though the free display will run through December, there will be an auction for pieces today as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs. Today’s show ends at 8 p.m.

“This is the first year we’ve done ‘Art from the Heart’ and Kevin did a great job with the kids,” said DeMarcus Beckham, special events coordinator with the Boys & Girls Clubs. “We’re always looking to enrich and empower youth and we say good kids aren’t grown on trees but have to be nurtured and given opportunities. It’s amazing for our artists to be at the McEachern and so many helped make it happen – the gallery, presenting sponsor Macon Magazine, support from the Harriet Lane Fund and Community Foundation of Central Georgia and the 567 Center for letting us have our classes there. It’s great seeing the community getting behind our kids.”

Lewis himself will have several pieces at the show and will be teaching beginning and intermediate portraiture classes for adults at the 567 Center beginning in January. He’s currently at work locally on murals on downtown gateway trestles.

This is the fifth year for Saturday’s “O’tis the Season” holiday celebration and Justin Andrews, the Redding Foundation’s director of special projects and outreach and Otis Redding’s grandson, said the idea came straight from kids in the foundation programs.

“The show features our kids and instructors and special guests each year and the idea and the name came from kids who kept asking, “Why not do a Christmas show?’,” he said. “We finally said, ‘OK, let’s give it a try,’ and it’s turned out great. We’re always looking for ways to showcase young people, their talent and ways to help them get experience along their way so this has definitely served that purpose plus become a good year-end fundraiser for our programs. We’re always looking for sponsors, too, so it’s not too late to get involved.”

Tickets are $15, $20 and $30 for seating at the Capitol, 382 Second St., and available through www.otisreddingfoundation.org, www.hargraycapitoltheatre.com and at the door on Saturday.

Kimberly Kelsey Epps, center director at the foundation, said this year’s show features members of the foundation’s youth DREAM Team, of its World-Famous Rap Room participants and local artists Charles Davis & the Velvet Sound, Reese Soul and Kali Dance Studio members.

Epps said special guest is Savannah-based singer Kim Michael Polote who, like many other performers, served as an instructor-coach at the foundation’s summer camp. Epps said the connection was initially made with Polote when she was part of a presentation by Gretsch Guitars, based in Savannah, of an ornate guitar to Zelma Redding, foundation founder and widow of Otis Redding.

“They gave Miss Zelma a beautiful white guitar and brought Kim along to sing,” Epps said. “She blew everybody away. I know she’s going to be such a hit at ‘O’tis the Season.’”

Now located in small lesson studios at 339 Cotton Ave., the foundation is in the midst of funding and building the Otis Redding Center for the Arts at the corner of Cotton and Cherry Street to better serve young people. It will be a central destination for youth educational programming in two stories of classrooms, practice and studio spaces plus an amphitheater. The foundation has also announced its 2023 summer music camp is June 5-17.

Epps said the holiday show emerging from students and camp participants is evidence of their work to not only help young people develop skills as musicians and performers but to take ownership and reach their ultimate professional goals whether as performers, creators, producers, entertainment industry professionals or in other life pursuits.

A couple of reminders and information on interesting events on the way in days ahead, tickets are on sale for next weekend’s production of The Nutcracker of Middle Georgia. Performances begin Thursday, Dec. 8, with information and ticketing at www.midganutcracker.com and www.thegrandmacon.com.

In light of the death of Christine McVie just days ago, it’s timely and fortunate that “Rumors – A Fleetwood Mac Tribute” is in town today at the Hargray Capitol Theatre with renditions of music from McVie’s long-time band. The show is at 7 p.m., the Capitol is at 382 Second St., and ticketing and information are at www.hargraycapitoltheatre.com.

And finally, jumping again to next Thursday, Dec. 8, don’t miss 1980s superstar Corey Feldman when he brings his band to the Society Garden. The star of film classics like “Stand By Me,” “The Goonies” and “Lost Boys” has extended his recent tour through December to include dates in Asheville, N.C., and Georgia and will appear at the Garden following their ‘80s Trivia contest. “Hey, you guys,” it’s a great chance to hear good music and great stories.

Go to www.thesocietygarden.com for tickets and more.

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.